Sunday, March 27, 2005
Review: "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous"
I also had the chance to see the sequel "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous" [(PG-13), 115 Minutes] this weekend. The comedy stars Sandra Bullock back in her role of FBI agent Gracie Hart. This time, she is a media celebrity following the events in the first film. However, there is no slowing her down when Miss United States and pagaent emcee Stan are kidnapped. Gracie and her two new partners, played by Regina King and Diedrich Bader, head out to Las Vegas to rescue the duo but get into more trouble than they're worth. I was pleasantly surprised with how entertaining this movie was. I liked the first one but never thought it was anything more than a great flick. It is not that funny, but it is fun and cute. The story is enough to keep you going and the different gags, while rarely comical, are amusing. I can honestly say I liked this one as much as the first.
Review: "Guess Who"
I had the chance to see the comedy remake of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner" this weekend. In "Guess Who" [(PG-13), 97 Minutes], Percy Jones's (Bernie Mac) daughter brings home her boyrfriend, Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher). Percy gets upset when Simon shows up as a white guy. The comedy ensues. There is comedy that actually made me laugh, too. I am a Mac fan and he is great in the film. However, I am not too big of a fan of Kutcher. Here he is rarely obnoxious but more boring than anything. The story is far too simple for my taste and it all seems like a ripoff of "Meet The Parents." Still, it is a decently entertaining flick with enough jokes to make it worth your while.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Special Review: "Ice Princess"
Disney’'s movies tend to be simple and predictable. We know what is going to happen most of the time. We enjoy that aspect, though. Disney'’s pictures have become so popular because they are familiar, much like classic fairy tales. There are rarely any surprises and when there are surprises, we are genuinely taken off-guard.
Such is the case for Disney'’s latest release, “"Ice Princess."” The story is simple enough but it is hardly the average Disney flick. As it turns out in this case, though, that is a good thing that only makes it more successful.
Michelle Trachtenberg plays high school student Casey Carlyle. Casey is a brainy girl with her sights set on Harvard. Casey'’s mother, played by Joan Cusak, pushes her to keep up the good work in school. Upon looking into topics for a physics scholarship candidacy Casey stumbles onto the sport of ice skating. Casey decides to apply the science of physics to ice skating techniques and soon discovers that she is a natural at the sport.
To her mother'’s dismay, Casey begins training under former champion ice skater Tina Harwood, played by Kim Cattrall. Casey’'s ice skating improves and it is clear that she is fantastic. In true Disney fashion, we know what is going to happen for the rest of the film - expect we are wrong. I will not reveal the film’s secret for the simple fact that I want you to experience this unique Disney movie yourself. I will say that it is rare to meet realistic, mean-spirited people in Disney flicks.
The movie deals with several relationship issues. The mother-daughter relationship shines as Casey is torn between pleasing her mother and pleasing her own heart. There is also the love story between Tina’s son and Casey as well as the friendship story between Tina’s daughter, played by Hayden Panettiere, and Casey.
One element that stood out for me was the use of the hand held camera to build tension in scenes dealing with confrontations between any two given characters. Disney’'s family films are not known for their artistically edgy camera techniques.
The actors are all very convincing in their roles. Cattrall’'s role is anything but a stretch for her, but she fits right into it. Cusak, as always, is a pleasure and is the scene stealer. Trachtenberg does a great job in her role as well. Even the other actors that have supporting roles in the film like “"The Jumping Shrimp"” are very interesting. By the way, many of the actors in supporting roles are in fact up-and-coming champion ice skaters.
The ice skating is fascinating but the heart of the story is the star. You are guaranteed to feel emotion for these characters. I also enjoyed the soundtrack for the film. It includes great songs by artists such as Diana DeGarmo and Michelle Branch.
“"Ice Princess"” surrounds girly issues on the outside, but the messages speak to people of both genders and all ages. It takes on a lot of serious issues and, much to my surprise, it shows that there are a lot of evil people out there. But as with all Disney'’s family flicks, there is a happy ending that everyone will be satisfied with.
I highly recommend "“Ice Princess"” for the whole family. It is simple yet unpredictable and for that reason it is very entertaining.
Such is the case for Disney'’s latest release, “"Ice Princess."” The story is simple enough but it is hardly the average Disney flick. As it turns out in this case, though, that is a good thing that only makes it more successful.
Michelle Trachtenberg plays high school student Casey Carlyle. Casey is a brainy girl with her sights set on Harvard. Casey'’s mother, played by Joan Cusak, pushes her to keep up the good work in school. Upon looking into topics for a physics scholarship candidacy Casey stumbles onto the sport of ice skating. Casey decides to apply the science of physics to ice skating techniques and soon discovers that she is a natural at the sport.
To her mother'’s dismay, Casey begins training under former champion ice skater Tina Harwood, played by Kim Cattrall. Casey’'s ice skating improves and it is clear that she is fantastic. In true Disney fashion, we know what is going to happen for the rest of the film - expect we are wrong. I will not reveal the film’s secret for the simple fact that I want you to experience this unique Disney movie yourself. I will say that it is rare to meet realistic, mean-spirited people in Disney flicks.
The movie deals with several relationship issues. The mother-daughter relationship shines as Casey is torn between pleasing her mother and pleasing her own heart. There is also the love story between Tina’s son and Casey as well as the friendship story between Tina’s daughter, played by Hayden Panettiere, and Casey.
One element that stood out for me was the use of the hand held camera to build tension in scenes dealing with confrontations between any two given characters. Disney’'s family films are not known for their artistically edgy camera techniques.
The actors are all very convincing in their roles. Cattrall’'s role is anything but a stretch for her, but she fits right into it. Cusak, as always, is a pleasure and is the scene stealer. Trachtenberg does a great job in her role as well. Even the other actors that have supporting roles in the film like “"The Jumping Shrimp"” are very interesting. By the way, many of the actors in supporting roles are in fact up-and-coming champion ice skaters.
The ice skating is fascinating but the heart of the story is the star. You are guaranteed to feel emotion for these characters. I also enjoyed the soundtrack for the film. It includes great songs by artists such as Diana DeGarmo and Michelle Branch.
“"Ice Princess"” surrounds girly issues on the outside, but the messages speak to people of both genders and all ages. It takes on a lot of serious issues and, much to my surprise, it shows that there are a lot of evil people out there. But as with all Disney'’s family flicks, there is a happy ending that everyone will be satisfied with.
I highly recommend "“Ice Princess"” for the whole family. It is simple yet unpredictable and for that reason it is very entertaining.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Reviews: "Hostage," "Robots," & "The Ring Two"
Another movie that opened a few weekends ago was "Hostage," starring Bruce Willis. As the title suggests, the film revolves around a hostage situation. It starts off in the middle of a hostage situation that leaves Willis's character devastated. It then becomes very artistic with beautiful mountain views. We meet three teenage boys that decide to steal an expensive vehicle. One thing leads to another and the teens are holding a family at gun-point. The first half of the movie is riviting and intense but later the writers choose to add a few too many storylines that complicate matters. The rest of the movie is still thrilling, but some logic is lost and the end leaves a few too many questions unanswered. It is still one of the best action-suspenses I have ever had the chance to see.
Perhaps the biggest release of recent weeks was "Robots," the new computer animated film from FOX. My favorite part of the movie was the short, "Ice Age 2," shown before the feature. It is all downhill from there. The beginning of the movie, featuring a baby robot, is fun, cute, and creative with a plethora of comical puns. But the baby robot grows up to become Rodney Copperbottom, a young inventor. He travels to Robot City and meets many new friends and has a less than exciting adventure. Simply put, it looks great but it has no personality. The animation is astounding but the story is simple and near nonexistant. To say it is a huge disappointment would be an understatement. Starring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, and Amanda Bynes (along with another dozen or so), the movie should have been a lot better. It is a little to boring for kids and a little too cartoonish for anyone else.
Finally, I have never been a fan of "The Ring." Now, "The Ring Two" is in theatres. In the film, the killer videotape makes a comeback. It all feels like dejavu, but it is a bit more interesting due to the fact that the story is more down to Earth and human. It is still not scary and still not good, though. Even my favorite scene in which a bunch of deer attack the main characters makes absolutely no sense. If you didn't like the first one, go ahead and avoid this. If you liked the first one, have at it.
Perhaps the biggest release of recent weeks was "Robots," the new computer animated film from FOX. My favorite part of the movie was the short, "Ice Age 2," shown before the feature. It is all downhill from there. The beginning of the movie, featuring a baby robot, is fun, cute, and creative with a plethora of comical puns. But the baby robot grows up to become Rodney Copperbottom, a young inventor. He travels to Robot City and meets many new friends and has a less than exciting adventure. Simply put, it looks great but it has no personality. The animation is astounding but the story is simple and near nonexistant. To say it is a huge disappointment would be an understatement. Starring the voices of Ewan McGregor, Robin Williams, and Amanda Bynes (along with another dozen or so), the movie should have been a lot better. It is a little to boring for kids and a little too cartoonish for anyone else.
Finally, I have never been a fan of "The Ring." Now, "The Ring Two" is in theatres. In the film, the killer videotape makes a comeback. It all feels like dejavu, but it is a bit more interesting due to the fact that the story is more down to Earth and human. It is still not scary and still not good, though. Even my favorite scene in which a bunch of deer attack the main characters makes absolutely no sense. If you didn't like the first one, go ahead and avoid this. If you liked the first one, have at it.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Reviews: "Bride & Prejudice," "The Jacket," & "The Pacifier"
I'm back! I am sorry for the delay in the movie reviews, but I promise that I will catch up quickly. For the next three days, I will be posting multiple reviews, including a full review of "Ice Princess." I will also be adding some new features. Keep your eyes peeled for news of upcoming movies and weekly DVD releases. Be sure to leave me your comments and let me know what you would like to see added to The Popcorn Journal.
You may have heard me on the radio last week. I was the winner of KOOL FM's Best Movie Review Of The Week. I won a gift card worth six months of free movie rentals from Blockbuster. The movie that nabbed me the win? "Bride & Prejudice!"
In what may be the most colorful film of the year, "Bride & Prejudice" is a take on the old Jane Austin tale about a woman who believes men are repulsive and a man who might just prove her right. There are a few dance numbers in this Americanized Bollywood flick and they are alright, but the story and the visuals make the movie. The acting is kind of hit-or-miss (the characters are surely memorable, but some may be a bit too over-the-top) but I definately reccommend this one. It is decent for the whole family and everyone should enjoy the culture.
Another good film that was released a few weeks ago was "The Jacket," starring Adrian Brody and Keira Knightly. In what could be called a time-travel tale, Brody is a patient in a mental hospital where a doctor practices dangerous experiments by placing people in straight jackets and sliding them into a drawer. While in the drawer, Brody sees the future and spends time with an adult version of a child he had once met. It has plenty of suspense but it gets a little confusing at times. The confusion suffers even more from poor logic on behalf of the screenwriters. Fortunately, the acting and thrills make up for the faults.
On the other hand, "The Pacifier" is a wretched mess of a movie and very bad family entertainment. The new Vin Diesel flick about a man protecting a family (well, kids really) is anything but funny. The story is predictable and the actors do an especially annoying job. Surprisingly, while disliking most of the movie, I did enjoy the ending which was pleasantly sweet and action-packed.
I will post three more movie movie reviews tomorrow as well as news about this week's new DVD releases.
You may have heard me on the radio last week. I was the winner of KOOL FM's Best Movie Review Of The Week. I won a gift card worth six months of free movie rentals from Blockbuster. The movie that nabbed me the win? "Bride & Prejudice!"
In what may be the most colorful film of the year, "Bride & Prejudice" is a take on the old Jane Austin tale about a woman who believes men are repulsive and a man who might just prove her right. There are a few dance numbers in this Americanized Bollywood flick and they are alright, but the story and the visuals make the movie. The acting is kind of hit-or-miss (the characters are surely memorable, but some may be a bit too over-the-top) but I definately reccommend this one. It is decent for the whole family and everyone should enjoy the culture.
Another good film that was released a few weeks ago was "The Jacket," starring Adrian Brody and Keira Knightly. In what could be called a time-travel tale, Brody is a patient in a mental hospital where a doctor practices dangerous experiments by placing people in straight jackets and sliding them into a drawer. While in the drawer, Brody sees the future and spends time with an adult version of a child he had once met. It has plenty of suspense but it gets a little confusing at times. The confusion suffers even more from poor logic on behalf of the screenwriters. Fortunately, the acting and thrills make up for the faults.
On the other hand, "The Pacifier" is a wretched mess of a movie and very bad family entertainment. The new Vin Diesel flick about a man protecting a family (well, kids really) is anything but funny. The story is predictable and the actors do an especially annoying job. Surprisingly, while disliking most of the movie, I did enjoy the ending which was pleasantly sweet and action-packed.
I will post three more movie movie reviews tomorrow as well as news about this week's new DVD releases.
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